In today’s modern world, old-fashioned can attract a certain negative connotation. It is tempting to think of old things as being past their prime, but this recipe turns this assumption on its head. How can any recipe that has chocolate be less than desirable? To me an old fashioned recipe means I have the directions to make something wonderful. This pie has a rich, delicious, old-world flavor. If you’ve ever had trouble with a chocolate pie not setting properly, then let this tried and true recipe bolster your pie-making confidence. This pie gels like a dream! Many of us have fond memories centered around family gatherings with a freshly-baked pie. Here’s your opportunity to pass those moments down to the next generation with this lovely recipe. I think the best recipes have been around for awhile! You might just agree with me when you taste of this little beauty. Just look at that wonderful slice of heaven! Ingredients: 1 deep dish pie shell (fully baked and cooled) 1/2 cup self-rising flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup sugar ( can add up to one cup of sugar according to taste) 3 cups whole milk 3 Large eggs separated 2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate melted OR 6 Tablespoons cocoa powder plus 2 Tablespoons shortening 2 Tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon vanilla Directions: In a double boiler add dry ingredients, flour, salt, and sugar. Stir with a whisk to combine. Stir in milk. Separate eggs and set the whites aside to come to room temperature. Beat yolks slightly and add to milk mixture along with chocolate, shortening, (if using) and butter. Heat over double...

Mexican Cornbread is my family’s favorite. This quick and easy bread is really delicious and goes well with most dishes. The leftovers disappear quickly, too. The pan preparation is the same as regular cornbread. Its important to use a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. There are a couple of different ways that I prepare my skillet and which one I choose depends on how busy I am that day. 1. On an average day when things aren’t quite as hectic, I preheat my pan. Place it in a 400 degree F oven for 10 to 15 minutes while I prepare the cornbread mixture. Timing is everything with this method. You want the skillet hot when you are finished mixing the ingredients. Bring the skillet out of the oven and take a heaping tablespoon of shortening and move it around the sides of the skillet. It will melt and run down to the bottom of the pan. This gets the sides and the bottom well oiled for baking. Once the pan has been greased, add a teaspoon or two of dry cornmeal – that’s right, just cornmeal. This gives the outside of your bread a little crunch. Next you immediately dump in your cornbread mixture before the pan cools and return it to the oven. 2. On a hectic day I grab some shortening with a paper towel or just with my hand and give the unheated skillet a good smear. With this method you have to be generous with the grease like this. Note: If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can make this bread in a 9...

Fried Okra is one of summer’s best delights. There is nothing better than sitting down to a nice warm meal with fried okra and a side of corn bread. Mmm, doesn’t that just make your mouth water. Here is a fun fact, did you know that okra started out as a weed? That’s right, something that we would just cut down and discard. Okra is grown all over the world in warmer regions, and y’all know how warm it gets in the south! I have heard a lot of southerners call it okry instead of okra. A little confession here, until I was older and learned to spell the word I thought that it wasn’t called okry! Let’s get started making us some okra for supper. Yes, it always starts with a good bath! Now down south we call this a “mess”. No, not that the okra is messy, but that you have a “mess of okra” to cook. Let me translate that for you northerners. When it comes to okra it is measured in a “mess”. A mess is more or less a sliding scale. I know, it sounds confusing, but its super simple. You have a bowl full of okra or enough to cut and cook to feed your family, no matter what size your family may be. A mess for a family of four is smaller than a mess for a family of six. I hope that clears it up some for you. Now once you have your okra thoroughly washed, you need to slice it up. How thick you slice it is really a...

I love these potato wedges! There is something about the simple foods that is so appealing. They have a great flavor and they are so easy to make. They only take a few minutes to get them ready to roast. This dish goes with almost any meal. On really busy days these little gems are so appealing to me because I can put them in the oven, set a timer and forget about them for awhile. What could be better than that? Let’s start with the potatoes. In this case, I used the red-skinned Yukon potatoes, but the regular Yellow Yukon Gold potatoes work as well. Some people prefer the texture of an Idaho baking potato, but whatever potato you have on hand will work fine. First they need to be thoroughly washed since we will be leaving the peelings on. I try to pick some of the smaller potatoes in the bag for roasting. This accomplishes two things, the potatoes roast faster and it uses up the small potatoes so when I have to peel potatoes for a different dish I still have the larger ones. Larger potatoes equals less peeling. Wash these little guys thoroughly. I scrub them with a light brush to be sure I have removed all the dirt. Next, I move them over to my cutting board. I get 6 wedges from each potato, unless it is really small then I only get 4. Start by cutting a potato in half. Then, take each half and hold your knife at a 45 degree angle to make a cut on each side. That makes a wedge on each side...

Are you looking for a lighter, refreshing desert? Try this watermelon sorbet. This frozen treat has tons of flavor without all the guilt. Healthy and tastes great, that combination doesn’t happen very often. I have one of the new “bowl” type ice cream makers, but you can use the older type too. Just be sure to put your ice cream makers bowl in the freezer the day before you make this recipe. Lets get this started by making a simple syrup. Mix water and sugar together in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once the liquid has boiled, turn head down to medium and simmer, not long, just until all the sugar has completely dissolved. Place syrup in a jar and put it in the refrigerator to cool completely. Place watermelon chunks, salt, vanilla, and lemon/lime juice in a blender and pulse until smooth. If you all the watermelon will not fit in your blender, don’t worry, just fill the blender, pulse a few times then add the remaining melon. Add cold simple syrup to melon liquid and pour into your electric ice cream maker. Freeze mixture according to your manufacturers instructions, this usually takes about 20 minutes. All that is left to do now is grab a spoon and dig into this heavenly treat!...